In Reviewing Laboratory Results for a Patient Presenting to the Emergency

question 24

Multiple Choice

In reviewing laboratory results for a patient presenting to the Emergency Department with changes in level of consciousness, the nurse correlates which value as placing the patient at greatest risk for seizures?

• A)Serum calcium of 12 mg/dL
• B)Serum potassium of 3.0 mEq/L
• C)Serum sodium of 135 mEq/L
• D)Serum magnesium of 2.6 mEq/L

---

Definitions:

Reliability

Degree of consistency in a measurement— that is, the extent to which it yields accurate measurements of a phenomenon across several trials, across different populations, and in different forms.

Inter-rater Reliability

The degree to which different observers or raters consistently assess the same phenomenon or outcome.

Inter-judge Reliability

The level of agreement or consistency between different judges or raters measuring the same phenomenon.

Internal Consistency

A measure of how well the items on a test measure the same construct or trait.